Planēta
Author: Pauls Bankovskis0 COMMENTS

A basement in the courtyard between Krišjāņa Barona and Tērbatas Streets, next door to the JRT theatre, is home to one of the oldest and best known used and antique bookshops in Riga. As signified by the name (Planet), the store's speciality used to be second-hand books and magazines published in a variety of languages: during the Soviet era, it was one of the few and far between places where you could get hold of the National Geographic magazine issues, new and old. As a result of historic and economic twists and turns, the shop, having left its original commercially favourable location in Tērbatas Street, ended up in a basement (don't let the Kristālu Studija sign at the entrance confuse you). There have been some changes to the range of books on offer; however, the spacious yet easily navigable room is - atypically of second-hand bookstores - quite tidy, and the selection of books in the shelves speaks of the considerable expertise of the employees: there is a wide choice of literary classics both in Latvian and Russian; particular attention is paid to editions published before World War II. If you do not find the book you covet, there is the option of leaving your phone number with the shop assistant, and they will get in touch as soon as the title in question appears at the bookstore.
27 Block 2 Lāčplēša Street.
Opening hours:
M-F 10.30 - 18.00
SAT 11.00 - 15.00
SUN closed